In a surprise visit, Indiana Democratic Representative Clyde Kersey gave a talk in Latzer Hall at the University YMCA on Wednesday, February 24, 2011. He and the entire Democratic caucus have fled the state. About 35 of them have taken refuge in Urbana where they are holding out on two bills which would destroy public education and undermine unions in Indiana.

“How long will we be out?” Rep. Kersey said. “As long as it takes.”

The Indiana Democrats are opposing two bills, HB 1468, the so-called “right to work” bill, a union-busting piece of legislation. According to Kersey, in 22 states where similar bills have been passed, salaries have gone down an average of $5,500.

What has received less media coverage is the “voucher bill,” HB 1479, which will dismantle the public school system and eliminate teacher bargaining units.

“It’s an attack on teachers. It’s an attack on working men and women,” Kersey said.

Today, there are 10,000 people demonstrating at the state capitol in Indianapolis. According to Kersey, teachers and unions have typically been independent of one another, but these two bills have brought them together.

Kersey said that Indiana Democrats have been in contact with their counterparts in Wisconsin. “What Wisconsin did set the state for what we did,” he told a room of about 50 students and campus workers. “They made it easier for us.”

According to Kersey, this is the first time the entire Democratic caucus has left the state. “These issues are too important to go back on,” he said.

Across the country, the corporate-driven campaign against workers and communities is meeting stiff and growing resistance. Republican lawmakers are attacking workers as political payback to the Wall Street and Corporate CEOs that financed their elections – the very people that created the economic crisis in the first place. JwJ activists will not let them continue to amass record cash reserves and bonuses while leaving the rest of us in a permanent “jobless recovery.”

Sparked in Wisconsin and gaining intensity in Indiana, Ohio and elsewhere, community, interfaith, student, LGBT, labor and other groups are determined to preserve basic human rights and economic dignity, good jobs and strong communities, a fair economy and retirement security. Supporters from as far away as Egypt have delivered free pizzas to protesters occupying the Wisconsin Capitol.

Jobs with Justice coalitions have been mobilizing in Indiana, Ohio and Wisconsin. At this writing, Democratic lawmakers in Wisconsin and Indiana are boycotting their legislative sessions, to prevent radical undermining of worker rights.

Tuesday. On Wednesday, the 3rd straight day of rallies, JwJ members were among 10,000 supporters who packed the halls of government. “Hall of Fame’ banners, featuring House Democrats that have boycotted the session in protest, were dropped from balconies, followed by “Hall of Shame” banners listing the anti-worker bills.

Two of the 11 anti-worker bills have been killed (for now). Unfortunately, Gov. Mitch Daniels just signed into law a plan to reduce unemployment benefits by 25% -- but give tax breaks to businesses.

Ohio JwJ activists were among the crowd that swamped the statehouse two weeks in a row. Tuesday, JwJ helped coordinate student groups; GESO, Free the Planet, Defend Ohio, and Ohio Student Environmental Coalition. See www.jwjblog.org for more press coverage and updates.

In Boston, over 2000 people mobilized in solidarity with Wisconsin yesterday.

Wednesday in Washington, DC, JwJ helped mobilize 1,000 people for the “We Are One” rally in front of the Wisconsin Governor’s DC office.

Workers, students, immigrant rights activists, community leaders, and individual activists gathered in solidarity with Wisconsin workers and all who are under attack by governors and state legislatures. Chicago JwJ and the Chicago Federation of Labor sent 2 busloads of people to Madison on Monday.

Two Indiana Democratic Representatives, Ed DeLaney and Matt Pierce, will speak at the College of Law Auditorium from noon till one on Tuesday, March 1. They will give a short speech on why they are here and what they hope to accomplish. They will also take questions from law students.

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